Art of illumination



Oct. 25, 1938. s E 2,134,491

ART OF ILLUMINATION Filed Feb. e, 1936 V 4 Sheets-Shelet 1 INVENTOR I ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1938. E, slBBERT 2,134,491

ART OF ILLUMINATION Filed Feb. 6, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Oct. 25, 1938. slBBERT 2,134,491

ART OF ILLUMINATI ON Filed Feb. 6, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet s lNVENTOR ATTO RNEYS Oct. 25, 1938. I E, E T 2,134,491

ART OF ILLUMINATION Filed Feb. 6, 1936 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Edll/Mdllfilbeff BYQGZM 4/6 4 was;

ATTORNEYS Jill Patented Oct. 25, 1938 l ART or Edward r. Sibbert, Brooklyn, N. y, assignor to S. H. Kress and Company, New York, N. L, a corporation of New York Application February 6;.

10 illaims.

My present invention is concerned with lighting installations and the constituent elements thereof, particularly for illumination of stores and display rooms.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide installations of the above type by means of which varidus displays in a large store, hall or gallery to be illuminated, may be flooded with light from sources attractively distributed about the ceiling, said sources individually and collectively to produce a highly ornamental eflect without glare, even when the glance is turned upward toward the ceiling.

Another object is to provide individual lighting units for an installation of the abovetype, which are relatively rugged, simple and inexpensive, and by the use of which power is utilized with reasonable economy, the great bulk of the light being projected directly upon the floor area, display or articles to be illuminated, without very much dissipation or loss, while the visible structural parts of the units are brilliantly illuminated from the source of light to produce a highly decorative display of inexpensive opaque metal parts, affording the illusion of cast and stained glass.

A feature of the invention is the arrangement of light units distributed near the periphery of the ceiling for illumination of the wall fixtures and counters and other such light units distributed in ornamental groups around rosettes over the main expanse of the ceiling.

Each of the light units preferably comprises an exposed baiiie unitlodged in a corresponding aperture in the hollow ceiling, above each of which is a reflector, which projects the rays of the corresponding lamp through louvers of the bafile unit. The louvers are defined by louver walls preferably of metal arranged in ornamental patterns as an integral part of the baille unit. The lower edges of the louver walls preferably protrude at various levels below the ceiling and serve to difiuse light by reflection therefrom and at the same time to give the eifect of depth or third dimension to the louver design. To prevent the possibility of subjecting the eye to direct glare of the incandescent filament, obliquely through the louvers or some of them, the louver walls are arranged to protrude downward at the critical portions thereof for intercepting such rays, and also enhancing the ornamental pattern produced.

Some of the light units of the ceiling may be circular or square in plan area, the louv er walls thereof are vertical and the lamp is symmetrica I disposed with respect thereto to project substancse, Serial No. cases (or. sic-s) tially all illumination directly downward. Some of the light units may have bafie units that are somewhat elongated and extend from the corners along the sides of rectangular ceiling panels. Those of the louver walls of said latter units that extend generally lengthwise of the unit are preferably vertical and those that are transverseand near one end of said baille unit are obliquely disposed, thereby to project some of the light from a lamp near the other end oi the unit, directly downward past the vertical louver walls and the rest of the light obliquely downward past the corresponding oblique walls, and substantially in a single plane but with some lateral difiusion, to more evenly distribute the light over a greater area.

Another feature of the -invention is to edect in association with the bafie arrangement set forth, indirect illumination of the individual ceiling panels by light projected upward from a suspended fixture, which carries a battery of lamps with concealed upwardly pointing reflectors, said fixture preferably also having one of the bane units in its center through which light from a corresponding lamp isprojected downward.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. i is a fragmentary bottom plan view, showing the corner of the ceiling of a large store or display room incorporating the invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and on a greatly enlarged scale along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing one of the constituent units of the installation,

Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away of the baflle unit employed in the embodiment of Fig. 2,

' Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line H of Fig. 5 and on a greatly enlarged scale along the line d-d of Fig. 1, showing another of the constituent units of the installation,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the baflie unit employed in' the embodiment of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line M of Fig. 7, and on a greatly enlarged scale on line 5'-6 of Fig. 1, showing the'construction of the suspended platform at the middle of the ceiling panel, and

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the fixture shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows area contiguous to the corner ofthe ceiling of a large or main floor show room or a chain store,

department store or the like. Peripherally along the ceiling are sources of light it which may be circular or generally rectangular as shown. These are preferably uniformly distributed at appropriate intervals and are designed directly to cast illumination upon the wall fixtures and wall counters substantially directly therebelow.

The large ceiling expanse is preferably subdivided into rectangular panels ii, each of which preferably has ornamental lateral decoration as suggested at l2. Corners of the respective panels have illuminated rosette conformations i3 from each of which radiate four lighting units H, extending respectively from the corner, along the respective sides of the associated panel. Each of the exposed portions of these lighting units is preferably not circular or square but elongated, with the-longer sides extending along the corresponding side of the panel as shown.

The various sources of light thus far described are lodged within the hollow ceiling, preferably to protrude slightly therebelow with the respective lamps thereabove and in the ceiling as will be described hereinafter.

For further enhancing the effectiveness of the illumination there is preferably disposed within the borders of each rectangular ceiling panel ii, a rectangular fixture i5 suspended below the ceiling in manner to be described hereinafter, mounting a battery of concealed lamps and corresponding reflectors for brilliantly illuminating the center of each ceiling panel for an indirect lighting effect, each of such fixtures also having a light unit I6 generally similar to the units i0, that are disposed in the ceiling. I

In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown one of the lighting units i0 comprising a generally square bafiie unit securely mounted in the hollow ceiling. For this purpose there is preferably a metal mounting frame l8 with an upper flange l8 and webs 20 preferably countersunk and embedded in the ceiling 2| as shown, with its lower edge 22 flush with the ceiling, said frame defining a corresponding opening in the ceiling. Upon said mountin frame I8 rests the baffle unit 25, which is preferably a unitary aluminum casting, painted or enameled if desired, with attractive color eflect. The casting 26 has an upper flange 26 superposed over the flange IQ of the mounting frame and the unit extends the height of frame I8, its walls preferably protruding slightly below the ceiling as best shown in Fig. 2.

The baille unit is made of an ornamental arrangement of louver walls defining a symmetrical pattern of any desired form. In the illustrative embodiment shown the rectangular border 21 of the baflle unit has a circular wall 28 therein, tangential thereto, and a pair of generally semicircular walls 29, substantially concentric with said circular wall 28 are joined thereto by radiating partitions 30, said semi-circular walls terminating in scrolls 3i, the inner portions of which are connected by partitions 32 to the middles of the semi-circular walls 29, the junctions of said partitions being connected by diametral partitions 32 to a square central wall conformation 34, in turn connecting the scrolls 3i. Arcuate segments 35 join the elements 29 and are connected by partitions 36 with the scrolls 3| and by radiating partitions 31 to the circular wall 28. It is understood that the design described which lends itself very well for the purpose of the invention is merely illustrative and any of myriads of possible designs would be suitable for carrying out the objects of the invention. 'The various walls of the baffle unit in this embodiment are vertical as shown and define ornamental louver openings.

A sheet metal cap or frame 40 rests upon the flange structure described and is preferably secured thereto by any conventional means. Frame 40 has ventilating holes 4| within its annular upper wall H which removably supports the rim of a sheet metal reflector 42, carrying a conventional socket structure mounting a powerful electric light bulb 43, directly over the middle of the baflle unit. The lamp's reflectors and supports are disposed within the open gallery or space between the ceiling of the show roomand the floor (not shown) of the story thereabove, and are accessible from this access gallery, for cleaning, relamping and other service.

In the arrangement set forth, the light is projected directly downward through the louvers of the baffle unit, brilliantly to illuminate the room or any fixture substantially directly therebelow. In the absence of other precautions however, a person glancing at the fixture obliquely from therebelow might in certain positions be dazzled by direct view of the incandescent filament. To guard against this objection the louver walls are elongated to protrude somewhat further down at selected regions, to be interposed in the path of vision so that the light is intercepted at all parts outside of a parallel zone directly underneath the unit. In the particular embodiment illustratively shown that portion of the louver walls defining the scrolls 8i is directed obliquely as at 46 rather than horizontally at its lower edge, protruding downward progressively further from the wall 29 to the inner scroll termination 45. Not only is the desired function accomplished by this arrangement, but the attractiveness of the unit when directly viewed is enhanced.

It is understood that if desired a diffusing, vitreous or ceramic pane (not shown) could be disposed over the bafile unit within upstanding flange 44 but in actual practice of the invention this has been found unnecessary.

The exposed opaque parts of the baffle unit described, when properly installed in a high ceiling and viewed from the floor at a distance therefrom, appear to be so brilliantly illuminated by light from the lamp as to produce the illusion of the translucency of cast stained glass, which illusion is enhanced by the outline of the ornamental pattern of louver walls that look like the lines of suture between segments of glass, and the various levels to which these walls protrude contribute to the solid or three dimensional effect which greatly enhances the beauty and appeal of the unit.

The embodiment 0. Figs. 4 and 5, preferably used at the rosettes in the expanse of the ceiling is a modification of the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3. In this casethe bailie unit preferably is longitudinally symmetrical but has a different conformation at the right end from that at the left, for effective projection of the light, some directly downward and the rest obliquely downward in the general plane of the length of the baffle.

For this purpose the longitudinally extending louver walls 41 are vertical as are all of the walls such as wall 48 near the right end of the baffle. The pattern at the right may have any of myriads of possible conformations, but is illustratively shown here as a bilateral variant of the theme shown in Fig. 3. The transverse walls 49 near the other end of the baille extend obliquely to permit of the baiiie unit.

.responds to that ofFigs. 2 and 3.

1 In use the embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5 produces the same attractive cast stained glass efiect on the outline of its characteristic design of the louver walls thereof. It will be seen that each of the units it projects light directly downward into the room or upon a counter or other fixture therebelow, and also along the length of the show room floor directly below the corresponding panel wall it, and that the light also diffuses somewhat laterally.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7 the fixture i5 is preferably suspended from the ceiling by hollow metal tubes iiil, through which the electrical conduits c extend. This fixture which may be rectangular as shown, may present an ornamental design harmonizing with that. of the ceiling and is formed as a flat bowl w ch carries a battery of upturned reflectors t2 concealed by a peripheral upstanding wall ti, each of said reflectors having an associated electric light bulb d3 for indirect illumination, but projecting the light upward against the corresponding ceiling panel. The reflectors 62 are preferably-mounted to tilt about axis ii for proper spread of the light on the ceiling.

The light unit it at the middle of fixture bowl W has a baflle unit li t, similar to that of Fig. 3, but illustratively circular rather than rectangular in contour, and best shown in Fig. '7. A refiector 65 and lamp bulb 6d are supported'by frame 67 resting on the flange 26" of the bafiie unit lit which rests on'a corresponding ledge 58 about a circular opening in the fixture it. The fixture bowl is conformed with ornamental brackets 69 which retain an opaque reflecting ring it directly below the. rim of the bafie unit, said ring serving to reflect light from the lamp lifito the bottom of the fixture bowl.

' The somber eifect of certain indirect lighting fixtures is thus avoided in which the bowl from which the light originates, itself remains dark or unilluminated, for the baiile unit lid with its louvers in the fixture i5 efiects illumination of the otherwise dark bowl, to bring out its detail,

without in the least detracting from its eil'ectiveness as the carrier of the source of indirect illumination.

With the installation set forth, a show or store room and particularly a large expanse of floor space with a high ceiling, receives not only scientifically correct illumination by brilliantly flooding with light the various fixtures, counters or displays, but the lighting installation itself is an entity of beauty.

The bafiie units with the cast stained glass effect described, distributed over the ceiling aflord i an unusually rich and attractive appearance,

while dazzle or glare is-avoided. This is accomplished without the need for darkened or poorly illuminated areas, for the fixtures I5 at the mid- .dles of the ceiling panels super-add a desirable indirect lighting effect.

'Thus the invention combines the advantages of direct, semi-direct and indirect illumination.

While the particular installation disclosed is desirable for a large and high show room or store floor, to accomplish the effects described, it is understood, especially where the ceiling panels are not too large, that the fixtures It might be omitted, or used in the absence of the units of Figs. 2 to 5. Also, especially in smaller show rooms or stores the peripheral sources of light, or the rosette arrangements might be omitted.

It is understood that the clusters of light source of show windows, ballrooms or in other relations;

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an installation and the elements thereof in which the several features-of this invention are embodied, and which in use attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet practical requirements.

As many changes could be made in the above embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting, sense.

Having thus described my invention, what 1' claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A lighting installation for a show room or the like, comprising a plurality of lighting units disposed in corresponding openings in the ceiling at the corners of rectangular ceiling panels, each of said openings being rectangular and extending from the corresponding corner along the side of the panel, a lamp within each of said openings and above the level of the ceiling, each of said openings framing a corresponding rectangular bafiie unit, with an ornamental pattern of louver walls, the walls of each unit arranged vertically, directly below said lamp and certain of the walls laterally of said lamp inclined outwardly, thereby to project the rays downward substantially in the plane of the ceiling panel side, said baffle unit serving to prevent glare in a substantial portion of the area illuminated from the unit.

2. A lighting installation fora show room or the like, comprising a plurality of lighting units arranged in groups, distributed over the ceiling and correlated with the floor areas to be most sharply illuminated, certain of said units including bafile units of length greater than their width, framed by corresponding openings in the ceiling, each of said baffle units having louver walls, certain of said louver walls being Vertical and others near one end of the bailie unit being inclined outward, and a lamp directly above the opposite end of the baflle unit. whereby the light therefrom will be projected directly downward past the vertical louver walls and obliquely downward past the inclined louver walls for effective illumination of a narrow elongated area of the floor and with lateral diffusion of light. 1

3. The combination recited in claim 2 in which the various louver walls areopaque and protrude downward somewhat below the ceiling to serve as anti-glare shields, brilliantly illuminated by reflected light from the corresponding source.

Slit

25 disclosure and many apparently'widely different ing built-in elongated bailie units radiating from area below a fixture bowl pendant from the ceiling area between rosettes, the center of said bowl having a bafile unit therein, a plurality of lamps carried near the periphery of said bowl and reflectors projecting the light therefrom upward to the ceiling, each of said various baffle units having a lamp thereabove, and presenting ornamentally arranged louver walls affording direct egress of light therebelow, but interposed in the path of rays directed substantially obliquely to the visitors floor space.

5. A lighting installation including a group of elongated lighting fixtures built into the ceiling and extending radially about and adjacent to a limited ornamented ceiling area. each of said fixtures having a series of baffles inclined obliquely, downwardly, and outwardly, and adapted to project the light from said fixture obliquely, downwardly along a confined narrow area below, and in the radially extending plane of said fixture.

6. A lighting installation including a group of elongated lighting fixtures built into the ceiling and arranged to extend radially about and adjacent to a limited ceiling area, each of said fixtures including a series of louver walls therein in the portion of the fixture closest to said ceiling area, extending vertically downwardly to direct light vertically downwardly towards the fioor space below, and a series of outwardly inclined walls near the outer portion of said fixture for projecting light from said fixture obliquely downwardly along a confined narrow area below and in the radially extending plane of said fixture.

7. Alighting installation for a show room or the like comprising a group of lighting units disposed in corresponding openings in the ceiling and extending radially from a limited ceiling area, each of said openings being of oblong rectangular shape with the longitudinal axis thereof extending radially of said ceiling area, a lamp within each of said openings and above the level of the ceiling, each of said openings framing a corresponding rectangular baiile unit, the partition walls of each bailie unit in the section directly below said lamp being arranged vertically, and the partition walls in another section being inclined outwardly and downwardly, thereby to project the rays downwardly and outwardly from said lamp substantially in the longitudinal plane of the corresponding rectangular opening.

8. A lighting installation for a show room or the like comprising a plurality of groups of lighting fixtures built into the ceiling, said groups defining therebetween a series of adjacent ceiling panels, and each of said groups including a series of lighting units extending radially from and adjacent to a limited ceiling area located at corners of said panels. each of said units having means for projecting light downwardly along a confined narrow area directly below the sides of the ceiling panels in planes extending in the radial planes of the fixtures, and a pendant fixture hanging from. the interior of each ceiling panel, and having means for projecting light upwardly towards the ceiling to illuminate the panel area thereabove and downwardly.

9. A lighting installation comprising a lighting unit countersunk within an opening in the ceiling and including a bailie unit framed by said opening and a lamp above said unit, said bafiie unit having a section directly below said lamp provided with a series of vertical partitions, and another section provided with a series of downwardly inclined partitions adapted to project light from said lamp obliquely downwardly from said lamp.

10. A lighting installation comprising a lighting unit countersunk within an opening in the ceiling and including a bailie unit framed by said opening and a lamp above said unit, said baflle unit having a section directly below said lamp provided with a series of vertical partitions, and another section provided with a series of inclined partitions adapted to project light from said lamp obliquely downwardly from said lamp, said partitions being of such height'as to intercept the line of vision obliquely through the openings defined by said partitions to the lamp, from the entire area about a limited zone under said unit, and presenting reflecting surfaces by which each of the partition areas exposed to view appears to be illuminated, the lower edges of the respective partitions appearing relatively darker and appeering to be sutures for seeming panes of stained glass, thereby affording the effect of a glass mosaic design with light transmitted therethrough.

EDWARD F. SIBBERT. 

